For years there have been talks about a sequel to Beetlejuice and now it has been confirmed that this is one step closer to actually happening. It has been announced that Mike Vukadinovich has been hired to rewrite the preliminary script for the sequel. Mike Vukadinovich has already been involved in some major projects. He was the writer of the science-fiction indie movie ‘Rememory’ This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He is also the screenwriter of the upcoming movie ‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’. This is a movie that is based on the Disneyland ride themed on Mr. Toad from Wind in the Willows.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Tim Burton, the director of the original movie, is on-board for ‘Beetlejuice 2′. Nor has it been confirmed whether Michael Keaton will reprise his role for the second movie. However, both Keaton and Burton have said that they are excited at the prospect of collaborating on a Beetlejuice sequel. Currently, they are both working on a live-action version of ‘Dumbo’.
Released in 1988, ‘Beetlejuice’ is a comedy-fantasy film about a dead couple who haunt their former home and a devious ghost called Betelgeuse. The film had a budget of just $15 million but was a critical and commercial success that grossed $73.7 million at the worldwide box office. In addition to Michael Keaton, the movie starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara. The original story was written by Michael McDowell and then rewritten by Larry Wilson and then rewritten again by Warren Skaaren.
News of ‘Beetlejuice 2′ has been a long-time coming. In fact, talks first began about a sequel in 1990. The original idea for a sequel was ‘Beetlejuice Goes Hawaain’ and this remained a working title for some years as various people became involved in the project and then dropped out.
Due to the length of time the script was in limbo, it became a near impossibility to work with as the former cast members became too old to reprise their roles in the story as it was written in the script. Therefore, the movie would need completely recasting.
In 2013, Winona Ryder hinted that she would be interested in reprising her role as she said playing Lydia Deetz had been an important part of her life. She also stated that she would only reprise the role if both Keaton and Burton agreed to get involved. Ryder confirmed she would be reprising the role in 2015. She is currently starring in the Netflix supernatural-horror series ‘Stranger Things’. Some of her other movies have included ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’, and Mermaids’.
As yet, very little further information has been revealed about ‘Beetlejuice 2′. People involved in the project have not discussed the planned storyline and the list of cast members has yet to be confirmed. Similarly, details of a production schedule or a release date for the movie remain a mystery. Fans of the original can only hope that Tim Burton and Michael Keaton agree to a deal as it is barely possible to imagine ‘Beetlejuice 2′ without the involvement of these two Hollywood legends.
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